Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1887-03-30
Wednesday, March go, 1857.
THE NEW PARK


People in the western part of the city are
pleased with the prospect that they will soen
have park of their own. The agitation for
park there began as long ago as 1852, five
years after the purchase of the old almshouse
farm And to prevent the town authorities
from donating or laying out any part of this
farm for public park resolution was put
through the town meeting placing the prop
ertv east of West street in the h~..3s of three
trustees, who were authorized to dispose of
parts of it from time to time, and the pro
ceeds were to be turned over to the town for
the purpose of defraying the expenses of
building the new almshouse, which has now
become the old one, and whatever might be
left after defraying such expense was to be
sold for the purpose of helping in the sup
port of the poor of the town. In 1867, to
prevent the voters from taking such action
as would cause the trustees to return the
property to the town, and to enable the trus
tees to sue and be sued, an act was got
through the legislature. In 1874 all the part
of the town land lying west of what was then
known as West street, now Winthrop ave-
nue., was by a vote in town meeting decided
to the trustees on the same terms and for the
same object as that entrusted to them in
1852
During all this time there was more or less
agitation in favor of setting apart for pub
lie park portion of the town lands. And
in 1876 the agitation was carried 50 far that
a map was made laying out the eastern
square bounded by Sherman avenue, Win
throp avenue, Martin and Elm streets. The
southeast corner of this square had been
used for burying ground for paupers, but
the town authorities have since plowed and
cultivated the land SO that no sign of the
graves remains. It was urged that this land
should never be built upon, but should be
kept open for public purposes. But it was
found that it WAS impossible to secure this or
any other portion of the town farm for
public park without paying to the trustees a
very hsrge sum ef money, as at this date
property rsas held at very high price in
that yicipity, and SO the stir ceased.
The present agitation was begun year ago
last February by gentlemen who saw no rea-
son why the western part of the city should
not be blessed with a park, and at whose
licitation Joint committee was appointed
by the court Sc ccc,,, zion council and the Sc
1ectmen to confer and co operate for the pur
pose of bringing this about. This conference
resulted in discovering that the only way in
which any portion of the property could be
obtained for a public park was by con-
demning it under the power given the city of
New Haven in its charter. The city's COM
mittee recommended the survey and laying
out of park west of Norton and east of
Mott streets. In the court of common coun-
Gil the recommendation was amended as
to bound the layout by Martin on the south
and Reynolds on the north, and SO amend
ed the layout was ordered. In the board of
public works, however, at its hearing on the
layout, the demand of the citizens was so
great for larger park and the recommends
ton of large property owners was such that
the board not only recommended the adop-
ton of the layout ordered by the council,
but advised that the two additional squares
lying due north of the layout be added. This
would give park of about 16 acres. The
upper Green contains about II acres. This
park would be divided lin the same manner
as the Green by Temple street) by Ellsworth
avenue, which would connect the park with
the two lines of horse cars. This land is al
ready graded, and the soil is such that much
can be done to beautify the place in a short
time.
Many think the new park should be much
larger than is now proposed, and there are,
of course, various and conflicting ideas about
what would be the best layout. But all
agree that a park will add much to the at
tractiveness of the western part of the city.